Warbird Information Exchange

The RF-8 is a true combat veteran. It started life with Navy Photo-Reconnaissance Squadron VFP-63. It, along with others, flew dangerous missions over Laos and Southeast Asia before the Vietnam War began. In fact, an RF-8, like this one, was the first casualty of that conflict. Later, this airplane was transferred to the Marine Air Reserve Training Detachment at NAS Dallas. Many Marines in the Metroplex have a history with this airplane. Most recently, it was part of a display in Mobile, Alabama but was damaged by hurricane Katrina and returned to the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Florida. There, it was discovered by members of the Veteran's Memorial Air Park on a recovery mission of an A-4 "Skyhawk." "The airplane was slated to be a target on a bombing range in Florida until we said we wanted it for our Veteran's Memorial Air Park," Bloomberg stated. "This airplane is a combat veteran," Bloomberg continued "and it deserves a better fate than to be blown up for practice. Our air park will be a perfect place to honor the people who flew and served with this airplane and ones like it," Bloomberg added

The one in the background of your shot is also historic. That
one flew over Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. If you
look at the color picture of JFK addressing VFP-62 that aircraft
is seen in the background as nose 906.

I am so glad this one is going to be saved. When Battleship Park
got another RF-8